Aston Business School's MBA helping non-profit professionals to thrive
Meet Nick Hickman, Head of Marketing and Fundraising who chose Aston University's MBA to advance his career and become a successful business leader.
Studying an MBA at Aston University
Aston Business School has an exceptional reputation, with a focus on practical learning. I wanted to advance my career and gain the skills, knowledge and behaviours necessary to be a successful leader in business, using contemporary thinking methods and proven processes.
At the time of studying, it was intensive and required meticulous organisation of my time.
However, in hindsight, I've seen almost every aspect we studied as useful, whether they were elements relating directly to my role or new skills and knowledge on the wider aspects of an organisation.
Leveraging MBA skills in the charity sector
Since studying the MBA, I've been promoted from Senior Marketing Manager to Head of Marketing and Fundraising at ExtraCare. In the longer term, I'd like to use my wider MBA skills as Head of other departments, maybe looking at areas such as technology and research. It's great working for a charity, where an authentic, altruistic culture is led from the top & you can be the best version of yourself.
I've worked on many live projects especially since the recent rebrand of our charity; I've worked with the national representative body in the sector (ARCO) to improve the perception of retirement living across the UK, which was the focus of my MBA dissertation.
What would you say to anyone thinking about doing the MBA at Aston University?
Studying a world-class MBA at somewhere as respected as Aston is a fantastic decision.
You'll grow as a person and a professional, and the sacrifice will be challenging but overwhelmingly rewarding. It has created a greater level of self-belief and confidence in my skills and knowledge and provided me with enhanced leadership skills.